He was standing before the moon. Then he was entering it. He was forced by its light energy. He was being sucked by its unknown force. He tried to resist it but felt that he couldn't move any further. He tried to mask his fear. He turned around to see Enara looking at her with horror in her eyes.
"Enos."
She said in a frightened voice.
"Enara."
He smiled at her with his typical mischievous smile.
"Don't go."
She said with quivering lips, eyes widened with fear. Her caramel hair was slightly blown by the wind.
He felt the strong force sucking him closer until he passed through it.
"Enos!!!!"
He could barely hear the shrieking sobs of Enara calling after his name. It was blocked and unamplified by the barrier that felt like water.
"Enos!!! Don't go!!!!! Enos!!!"
He heard Enara's cries calling him.
He felt himself in the sky and saw clouds around him then saw below glittering lights and dots of black forms and shapes. It was a refreshing and new sight to him. He felt glee upon seeing it. The fear he felt a while ago disappeared, now replaced by this newfound wonder.
He felt the wind on his arms, legs, and face. It was cold and it was warm at the same time caressing his stretched arms with its invisible weight. He felt like a bird with his arms stretched like they were his wings. His face was split in a never-ending smile of wonder on his face. Enos never felt so free for the first time in his life.
He looked back and up from his back and saw the white clouds he passed earlier. Then, he looked down the unseeing ground again. He knew he was falling.
He felt fear but he also felt wonderful. Ethos would be there when he falls. He's sure of it. He's always around to catch him after Enos was done with his mischief.
He was falling slow. Then, it felt faster.
Then, everything was darkness.
Shane opened his eyes.
He dreamt of her again. Enara.
He told himself that he will forget about her but still the memories of his childhood, of him leaving Lunara because of his unpeeked curiosity that caused his unexpected disappearance, came flooding back to his memory. Again. Tonight.
And this time. Ethos. He didn't see him in the dream but for the first time in twenty years, he thought of his older brother. Ethos.
He saw the trace of light sneaking its way in the bedroom from the darkly shaded curtain.
Shane got up from the bed and drew the curtains to its side and revealed the glass door. The moon's light shone brightly against his eyes.
He looked at its form. It looked pristine in its form. An unusually bright glow tonight.
He heard Katarina entering the room. He turned around and saw her dressed in her pajamas.
"I must break up with you, Katarina."
He said with a serious voice.
Katarina looked blankly at him first but she was shocked to hear it coming from his lips. She tried to keep a straight face.
"What?" she asked, confused. "Why?"
His gaze fluttered at her uncertain face.
"I need to," Shane answered, his voice low. "I must. She's waiting. For me."
"Who?"
She asked looking at him.
"Enara."
He replied not looking at her.
"Enara?"
Katarina asked. Her tone was flat.
"Yes."
"I thought you haven't found her." She said averting her gaze from him.
"I did." He said in a simple tone. "She's Rana."
"No way," she said, disbelieving. Her voice raised. This was the second shock she receive for tonight. "That's too much coincidence. Didn't you say Rana wasn't Enara?"
"Yes. But it was her all along."
He explained, averting from her accusing eyes.
"That couldn't be."
She said still in disbelief. She wouldn't back down easily. She will fight for Shane. She will fight for Shane Anderson.
Shane glanced at her.
"She doesn't remember me. Her memory is wiped clean."
"Shane?" asked Katarina in a brittle voice. "Why?"
"Enara."
He said simply as if it explained everything.
With a low but clear voice, he said, "She's my betrothed."
Katarina looked at him, confusion running in her eyes.
"Shane, am I not your fiancée?" she asked, her voice wavering.
He looked back at her and explained himself. His face was passive.
"You know I told you that Enara was my childhood friend, remember? Actually, Kat, Enara's the one I was betrothed to first."
He said and took a deep breath.
"I've always been in love with her. I promise to marry her once when we're eighteen. I told her that when we were eight years old. I have to return to her."
"Return to her? Do you think it's that easy to break up with me and return to her fast? What if I refuse to let you go?"
Katarina argued looking at him, fury already dancing in her eyes.
"I have to go back, Kat. I have to go home."
"But isn't this your home? Am I not your home?"
She asked sadly. She felt the tears welling in her eyes.
Shane expelled a frustrated sigh. He must show her.
"I'm not from here, Kat. I'm from Lunara, the Moon City. I'm a wolf monster, Katarina. So, I must return."
Katarina looked at him in silence. Then, she spoke, trying not to break her voice.
"Will you show me your true form, Shane?"
"Will you not be frightened?" he asked in a serious voice.
"I've never been scared of you, Shane."
Katarina answered. Her voice determined. She curled her hands to her side.
He studied her under his quiet gaze and then called into his other form while he stood before her. He unwaveringly held into her gaze while he activated his form. Awakening the monster in him that had slept for two decades. The first tail came out from his back. Then, the second, the third until it stopped at nine. His new form with all the nine tails swishing itself behind his back glowed before the full moon shining outside.
"My name is Enos. I'm a guardian of the Moon."
He said looking at her.
"Enos."
Katarina repeated his name. Tears flowed unnoticed on her face as she gazed at his new form.
"You are beautiful, Shane."
Then, her face steeled and looked back at him unfalteringly.
"But, you're engaged to me, Shane."
She said bowing down, starting to cry. Shane tried to touch her shoulders but she swayed them off not looking at him. She kept her head bowed. Then, she lifted it and looked back at him with full fury. Pain, hate, bitterness, all baring at her face. She remembered something while she studied his face.
"You know what? I think I dreamt of you when I was a kid, Shane. A silhouette of a monster with many tails. I just didn't know the meaning of it then."
She bored her eyes at him.
"Do you own a charm bracelet with an opal stone?"
He looked at her in surprise and nodded.
"What do you know about it?"
"I picked a bracelet of that kind when I was nine while my parents, I, and my cousin's family were out enjoying ourselves in the city. We were on our way home when I picked that kind of thing in the street. I would have wanted to keep it but Aunt Juliet told me that it must be an old artifact that needed to be kept in the museum. She worked for the museum then until Julienne followed her footsteps."
Katarina said in a long explanation.
"Enos."
Shane heard his name called by a woman from afar. It was a strong and resolute voice. Enara's sister. Ethiara.
"Enos."
"Enos."
A deep baritone cold and sharp called to him. It was his brother. Ethos.
"Enos."
A friendly, warm and gentle voice called his name. It was his cousin Helios.
They were all calling him.
"Enos."
A bright, cheerful, and giggling voice sounded from his far distant memory.
"Enos."
A woman's voice weak and hoarse sounded from afar. It's Enara's voice fading.
"She's fading."
He said with fear. He clenched his fist to his side.
"Katarina, I have to go. Enara is waiting for me."
He said with urgency. Fear gripped him. He doesn't want to lose her.
"Then, bring this ring you gave me so you will remember me."
Kat slid the ring from her right finger. She opened her left palm and gave it to him.
"I can't bring it with me, Kat. I gave it to you. Keep it. You will always be the woman I've loved and cared for here in this world. You will always be that, Katarina."
He said closing her hand.
Katarina smiled at him despite tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Shane. I will always love you, Shane…Anderson."
She said tears now freely flowing on her face.
She leaned to him and kissed him on the lips but Shane's lips were unresponsive. The Shane that used to respond to her kisses was no longer there. He was replaced by this stranger. A cold white wolf monster who answered to his mate. His Enara.
Katarina bit the insides of her cheek. She gritted her teeth.
"Kiss me, Shane." She ordered looking determinedly at him.
Shane bent down his head and kissed her.
Katarina felt his cold kiss on her lips. She gripped her hands at his side and looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Kiss me, Shane. Like how it's always been. Please?"
Shane released a sigh and kissed her passionately this time until he remembered the passing strands of caramel hair before his eyes and stopped himself. Cold dead.
"Don't. Say. It."
She removed herself from kissing him. Arms strongly gripping at his sides, she tilted her head looking up at his face.
"I wish I'm Enara."
Suddenly, Katarina said with a bitter tone.
"Then, you wouldn't leave me."
"You wouldn't be Katarina if you were Enara, Kat. You wouldn't be my Katarina."
He said trying to assuage his guilt, trying to smile at her scowling face. He will be leaving this woman he found love with while he stayed in the human world. While he lived in New York City.
Katarina calmed down. She changed her scowl to a serene smile this time.
"Thank you, Shane. I'm glad you love me."
She let go of her hand on his arms. Without looking at him, she said, "Now, you can go."
"Yes, I must go."
He changed back to his human form. And looked back at Katarina for a long while whose right arm was now cupping her left elbow.
"Kat, I'm so sorry. I love you. But I have to go."
He said sincerely. She just looked at him with seeing eyes.
"Don't wait up for me, Miss Sebastian. I won't be back anymore."
He said lightly teasing.
"I won't, Anderson."
"Love again, Kat. You deserve it."
Katarina bit her lips to stop them from quivering. She felt her tears flowing.
"I will once I've forgotten about you."
He walked towards her. He gently touched her head.
"I can make you forget me."
Katarina held into Shane's hand with gentleness.
"Don't. That wouldn't be fair to me, Shane."
"Then, at least, let me take you into your sleep. Undisturbed, Kat. I promise."
"Goodbye, Shane. I hope will meet again."
He leaned down on her and kissed her opened mouth and Katarina was surprised by him suddenly kissing her meaning it this time. She kissed him ferociously as if gasping for life. Then she felt her consciousness leaving her. He kissed her gently. And carried her into the bed and covered her with the blanket.
He looked again outside into the night. The moon was full and bright as a diamond. The black clear sky was scattered with stars. No more time is to be wasted.
Enara is waiting for him.
He couldn't transport himself into the place. Only the moonstone stone is capable of doing it for him.
He made a quick change of clothes and took his jacket. He studied Katarina's sleeping form one last time and closed the door of the bedroom quietly even when he knew that she wouldn't be waking up until tomorrow. And he ran to his car.
Shane found Rana standing looking into the shadows then gazing into the full moon sky. Her hair moved with the wind despite a blue band secured to her head. The skirt of her pale blue dress fluttered as the night wind brushed through it while she walked silently forward towards him. She didn't see him. He was standing by the shadows of the tree.
She stopped when she saw him.
"Shane?"
She asked with a surprised tone.
"What are you doing here at this time of the night?"
He walked from the shadows and joined her.
"I just needed to be here that's why," he said lightly. "What are you doing here by the way?"
"Ah…" she said trailing while they walked along the banks of the lake. "Just needed to clear my head off. I have a confusing dream and I want to forget about it."
"Care to tell me what it was?"
She looked at him under her light blue eyes.
"You wouldn't understand it anyway. It's just weird, that's all."
"You can tell me. I can be of help."
Rana looked at him through her smile and shook her head vigorously.
"Was it weird?" Shane started with a knowing smile.
"I don't believe in such nonsense. They're not real."
"What if they are? Will you believe it? Will you believe in their existence?"
Rana laughed.
"Why are you so insistent? Are you one of them?" she asked mildly teasing him.
"What if I am? Will you believe in me?"
She gave him a half-smile under her twinkling blue eyes.
"You can't be real then, Shane."
They observed the bright diamond moon under the sky. Its orbs reflecting under the glass lake waters.
"It's nice to meet under the moon sky like this," said Enara musing. "It's magical and mystical. Almost surreal. It's like meeting again."
"Yeah, you're right, Rana. Too magical I won't even believe it."
Shane agreed wistfully.
"Did I just say meeting again?" asked Rana talking to herself more than to him. She shook her head.
"I think I have too much moonlight tonight."
"Maybe you should just believe it."
"Believe in what?"
Rana asked uncertainly.
"Do you believe in me?"
Shane bent down his head and kissed her.